Masti Point

Last weekend, the sporting world had been abuzz with stories and controversies about Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s autobiography,Controversially Yours. The book has made a lot of claims that are startling and have surprised the entire sporting world. It has gained a lot of attention in the sub-continent and has managed to bring retired Rawalpindi Express back into the limelight. The content of the book leads one to think, if this is what Shoaib wanted all along; the attention that he is getting right now.

Throughout his career, Shoaib has been a walking, talking, high speeding controversy. From multiple doping charges, to ball tampering allegations; from sexually transmitted diseases to lashing out against his own cricket board, he acts like a magnet to all possible controversies. His new autobiography supports this very view itself. There is nothing wrong with a person speaking their mind or having a final word on what they have been through, but some of the facts that he states were the kind that were bound to bite back at him.

For one, Shoaib claims that arguably the greatest batsmen and holder of almost all batting records, Sachin Tedulkar, is scared of his bowling. We can all agree that Shoaib is fast, in fact he is the fastest known bowler in the world, but to claim that a batsman of Tendulkar’s standards is afraid of him is committing cricketing blasphemy. This has caused uproar in India and very rightfully so. He claims that a bouncer he once bowled didn’t even touch Sachin yet he walked off because he was too scared before him. Sachin is renowned for his gentlemanly temperament in which he does not wait for the umpire to give the decision if he has nicked the ball. To claim that he walked away because he was scared is just spitting in the face of the respect that the great man shows his opponents during the game. After stating this he even goes on to say that Sachin and Dravid do not know how to win games. To counter that, Shoaib needs to be shown their batting records and consider the fact that they have lasted so long in the international arena because they know how to win games; Dravid is called The Wall for a reason. His game winning and never-give-up temperament is unmatched to others cricketers.

Furthermore, the speedster goes on to criticize Wasim Akram for being a bad captain and forcing him out of the team. Shoaib is a good player, but Wasim, is a great player; a legend. He might have his share of flaws, but he was a man of character, and is respected throughout the country for not only the acclaim that he brought to Pakistan but also because he was a good human being. I don’t know how much of it is true, but Shoaib’s claims that Wasim threatened to walk out with half the team if Shoaib were selected seem unfounded. It is said Dr Nasim Ashraf, then Chairman of PCB supported Shoaib over Wasim but how much truth this news has is hard to say. If untrue, it would be appalling to know that Shoaib would go to such extents to be in the limelight.

When Shoaib retired, it was an emotional moment for Pakistani cricket. He didn’t bow out in the greatest of fashions but he was surely going to be missed. His constant need for attention however, might tarnish his reputation or do the opposite and catapult it to stardom. All this remains to seen but barring the better parts of this negligible memoir it just goes to show Akhtar’s longing desire to gain attention, and that it has done; congratulations Shoaib!